In the real world, inside the Service Club.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared blankly at the light screen, watching her mother's posture as she humbled herself to the dust. For her and her sister, her mother had abandoned all dignity and pride, bowing down to beg like the most devout believer. Tears instantly blurred her vision, sliding uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Complex and indescribable emotions surged in her heart—there was the joy and emotion of learning about her mother's deep love, but also the heartache and sadness of seeing her mother so humiliated and lowly. Once upon a time, she had felt secretly hurt because her parents focused more on her excellent sister, even doubting if she was loved. At this moment, her mother's all-out protection in the light screen was like a strong light, dispersing the haze that had shrouded her heart. She was certain that her mother loved her, and that this love was deep and resolute.
She didn't want her mother to die. Even if this was just a plot being played out on the light screen and might not be what truly happened, she didn't want to see her mother suffer any misfortune.
However, the plot in the light screen would not change even a fraction because of her personal prayers.
(Inside the light screen, facing Yukinoshita Ayano's plea to discard everything to seek a way out for her daughters, Kuchiba Hiro's heart did not ripple in the slightest, let alone be moved. He didn't even bother to give her a mocking expression.
He crouched down, his movements not exactly rough but carrying an unquestionable force. He reached out and grabbed Ayano's disheveled hair, forcing her to lift her face, which bore red and swollen palm prints.
At the same time, the black face mask that had covered him for a long time slowly receded and melted like a living creature, revealing a young face beneath it that was covered in frost. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, containing no pity for the weak, only accumulated anger and unshakable determination.
"You've reached this position," he said, his voice cold with unconcealed sarcasm. "How can you still say such naive things?"
"Let them go?" He repeated those words as if he had heard a huge joke, his eyes suddenly becoming incredibly sharp. "It's easy to let them go! But who will let me go? Who will let go of my father, who was silently erased by your so-called 'project'?!"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a knife, stabbing into Ayano's heart and striking the souls of all who watched.
"The tables have turned now, Madam." He leaned closer, almost staring into Ayano's eyes, which were trembling slightly from pain and fear. "You're in no position to negotiate with me."
"Now." He let go of her hair, but his cold gaze remained firmly locked on her. "Tell me everything you know about the truth of my father's death, without missing a single word."
Ayano's eyes dimmed completely, and the last shred of hope vanished. She knew that in front of this young man with a will like steel, any calculations or pleas were futile. Now, she could only leave it to fate.
She slumped to the ground, losing all her strength. Her voice was dry and hoarse as she began to tell the truth that had been covered up layer by layer, a truth enough to overturn the world:
"The core... the earth's core is heating up at an abnormal speed..." Her voice carried a numbness as if stating a doomsday verdict. "The end of the world is not a prophecy; it's a fact that is happening, and... it's coming soon."
"High-level officials from various countries... held a top-secret meeting and formulated the 'Ark Project'..." She intermittently described that cruel escape plan, relying on specially made arks to survive the global catastrophe brought about by the core meltdown. She mentioned major participating countries like Neon, Kyushu, and America.
"At the same time... the 'Civilization Continuation Project' was also formulated..." Her voice grew even lower. "To ensure the smooth progress of the plan and to ensure that secrets were not leaked, causing global panic and riots... my husband... was one of the main executors on the Neon side."
She looked up, glanced at Kuchiba Hiro's expressionless face, and continued: "Within Neon, families, enterprises, and financial conglomerates of all sizes... as long as they were qualified, they all participated in the Ark Project. And the reward for those who participated, providing resources, technology, or... handling 'troubles'... was a ticket to board the ark."
Hearing it again, and having the absurd and terrifying fact of the "end of the world" confirmed by a family member of his enemy, Kuchiba Hiro's eyes finally flickered with waves of disbelief. Although he had already learned the truth from his father's relics and the mouths of some professionals, hearing it confirmed with his own ears still felt different. He could almost see this familiar land beneath his feet, as well as those strange and distant countries, being ruthlessly swallowed by boiling seawater and lava in the near future.
But this fluctuation lasted only for a moment.
He quickly regained his composure, his gaze becoming firm and cold again. He didn't have much fear or anxiety about his own survival. From the moment he decided to embark on the path of revenge, he never thought he would have a peaceful end. Personal life and death seemed insignificant in the face of overwhelming hatred and the destined end of the world.
He wasn't interested in which specific people participated in this frenzy to secure doomsday tickets. Finding them one by one? Too much trouble.
A more thorough, more insane idea quickly sprouted and took shape in his heart, carrying a pleasure of destroying everything.
Wasn't the world going to end in a few years?
Fine.
Then he would go and blow up the ships!
If we die, we all die together! No one even think about escaping!
This thought gave him a distorted sense of peace. He directly asked the most critical and core question, his voice frighteningly steady:
"That so-called... Noah's Ark, where is it?")
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